So, here we are in August – what some people refer to as the "dog days of summer." Temperatures and humidity are through the roof, many of your clients, customers, and prospects are on vacation, and those deals you thought were going to close in June or July just haven't happened.
This time of year, a typical business development progression for many sellers looks something like this:
- The first half of the year finishes strong, with sales at or ahead of projection.
- The new business pipeline is seemingly full of promising opportunities.
- Summer hits, the Fourth of July holiday comes and goes, decision-makers have vanished, and deals are taking longer to close or, perhaps, have stalled completely.
- Their "numbers" fall behind, they become discouraged, panic begins to set in, and they can't enjoy any of their summer, wondering how they're going to make up the deficit by Q4.
But this selling slowdown doesn't have to be a period of inactivity and unprofitability. Here's how some sales professionals use the summer slump in productive and meaningful ways:
Rekindle Dormant and Existing Relationships
With many decision-makers traveling or on vacation, your current or former clients' schedules may have also slowed down. It's an opportunity to reengage with them, schedule informal get-togethers, and reestablish rapport. Chances are they will welcome the contact, and you may well uncover new business opportunities that you hadn't anticipated.
Explore New Markets and Strategies
This might be an opportune time to strategically plan for an uptick in business and activity after Labor Day. Are there new markets or customer segments that can be targeted with fresh marketing campaigns? Are there prospects and potential new customers who haven't experienced the summer slowdown or, perhaps, have a cycle of increased need themselves during Q3 and Q4? What pre-planning can you accomplish now that will enable you to hit the ground running come September?
Focus on Lead Generation
Fine-tune your lead generation tools and activities. Create meaningful content that you can utilize in email marketing, social media, and LinkedIn posts. (For that matter, take this opportunity to refine your LinkedIn profile and learn how to use their many lead generation tools, such as Sales Navigator.) Couple those efforts with researching new opportunities using database tools that are readily available, such as ZoomInfo. (Can you say "curated prospect list" or "intent search?")
Reexamine Your Sales Processes
Scrub your database, update your CRM, and implement a "pipeline hygiene" strategy by eliminating those "suspects" who probably never had any intention of doing business with you. Were those prospects realistically qualified, or were they just "kicking tires" and shopping for free advice or your unpaid consulting? Summer is also a great time to focus on professional development by refining and enhancing your selling, negotiating, and presentation skills. Opportunities for live and/or virtual training, seminars, workshops, webinars, and online courses are abundant. (They don't take summers off!)
Do What Your Clients, Customers, and Prospect Do!
Use some of the remaining "dog days of summer" to relax, refresh and recharge. Maintain a positive mindset by dialing it down a bit to reduce any lingering stress and anxiety and enjoy friends and family. Then, reset and refocus by setting new goals for yourself in order to hit the ground running when vacations end, the kids are back in school and more of your customers are ready to do business!
There's no question that the hot and humid summer-month slowdown can be a challenging and frustrating period for even the best and most experienced sales professionals. But what you do and how you prepare in the days and weeks ahead can make the difference between another productive and prosperous calendar year or a season of potentially missed opportunities. Good selling!
